As the Missouri River slowly recedes back to within its banks over the next few weeks, State Game and Fish Department biologists are anticipating that many boat ramps will require substantial work before they are useable again.
“We know that as the water goes down, people will be anxious to try to get their boats in the water for what remains of summer,” Game and Fish Director Terry Steinwand said. “A few ramps may not require a lot of work to get them functional again, and we’ll start on those as soon as we can.”
Other ramps will likely require permits before needed construction can begin. “We’re working with state and federal agencies to expedite the permits on those areas we believe we can make repairs rather quickly and provide boating access,” Steinwand added.
If all goes well, Steinwand is hopeful Game and Fish can get a couple of ramps in safe working order by Labor Day weekend. The two most likely possibilities are Steckel (Wilton) and Kimball Bottoms (Desert), where biologists already have a sense of what repairs may be required to get them back in operation. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled the Tailrace ramp to reopen on Aug. 18.
It will likely take another couple of weeks before the water goes down far enough so Game and Fish staff can assess all 12 public ramps rendered unusable on the Missouri River between Garrison Dam and Lake Oahe.
As of Aug. 15, the only ramp providing good river access is the UPA (Stanton) ramp. Steckel is listed as marginal. Ramp status is detailed on the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.
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